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Westbrook has a strong history of parent participation in school activities and in the day-to-day campus operations. Volunteering is an excellent way to stay involved in the education of your children. Volunteers provide Westbrook with valuable resources that otherwise would not be available, allowing our teachers and staff to concentrate on direct educational activities. Volunteering is also a great way to build community among staff, students and parents. Any amount of time that you can contribute will support and enhance the educational experience of our children.

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The committee chairs and their email addresses can be found here [pending update for the 2019-20 school year.]  

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Volunteer opportunities include:

Classroom assistance

Media center assistance

Playground and lunch room monitoring

Art assistance

Participation in PTA-sponsored events such as Book Fair, International Night and Carnival

 

Working parents and parents with small children can find many activities that do not require them to be available on campus during school hours.   

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12 Frequently Asked Questions:

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1. Who can volunteer for Westbrook?  All adult family members are able to volunteer at Westbrook.  This can include grandparents or other close family members.  There are a million ways to pitch in throughout the year that match every schedule. 

 

2. How do I sign-up to volunteer?  Express your volunteer interest now via Sign-Up Genius and you will be contacted when your help is needed: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0544abac2fab9-2016. Additionally, volunteer opportunities will be listed via the list serve (Westbrook-school Yahoo group). 

 

3. Am I able to volunteer in the classroom?  Yes!  Volunteering in the classroom is coordinated by each individual classroom teacher (or room parent) and does not typically begin until mid-late October.  FYI - some teachers seek lots of help from volunteers and others want less! 

 

If you plan to volunteer in the classroom or directly with students in another capacity on campus, you are required to attend a new volunteer training session. This session will take on Friday, September 27th from 9-10:00 a.m. in the Fireplace Room. Coffee and light refreshments will be served. Anyone who is new to volunteering at school (in the classroom or anywhere else) must attend this training session. Volunteer opportunities will be highlighted, do’s and don’ts of volunteering and other pertinent information will be discussed. If you are not able to attend, please contact [Volunteer Coordinator] after the sessions have passed. It is never too late to be trained to work on campus! 

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4. Do I have to attend the new volunteer training again if I am a returning volunteer or if I am not working directly with students?  Nope!  The training is designed for new volunteers and for volunteers working directly with students in the classroom and as Recess Rangers.  If you plan to help during big events (Carnival, Book Fair, etc.), you do not have to go to the training, but you are certainly welcome to attend in case you decide to work with students in the future.

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5. Do I need to take the MCPS Child Abuse and Neglect online training in order to volunteer? Yes, you do if you wish towork directly with students on campus or chaperone a field trip. Once you take the training, send the certificate of completion into the Westbrook office. Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, volunteers will need to complete the child abuse and neglect training at least once every three years in order to continue volunteering. If you took the training during the 2016-2017 school year, you don’t have to renew it until 2020-2021. If you took the training during the 2017-2018 school year, you don’t have to renew until 2020-2021. If you took the training during the 2018-2019 school year, you don’t have to renew it until 2021-2022. The training is located on the Westbrook PTA website at this link: https://www.westbrookespta.com/blank-c7ci

 

6. Do I need to get a background check, including fingerprinting, per the MCPS requirements? Background checks are only required for volunteers wishing to chaperone extended day field trips, i.e., field trips that go beyond 7 p.m. in the evening. This applies to field trips typically offered at Westbrook in grades 4 and 5. To make an appointment for a background check and fingerprinting, please contact Greg Jones, Personnel Asst.-Fingerprinting, Dept. of Certification and Staffing, 45 W Gude Dr., Suite 1100, in Rockville. Phone: 301-279-3276.

 

7. Are there other volunteer options on the Westbrook campus?  Yes!  In addition to the classroom, there are lots of opportunities to help out in the Media Center (aka, Library), Front Office and at Recess/ Lunch.  Stay tuned and keep an eye on the list serve. 
 

8. Do I really have to sign the Volunteer Statement of Commitment again?!  Yes!  Every volunteer is asked to sign an annual Volunteer Statement of Commitment.  This document will be readily available in the office, via backpack, or on the list serve.  Please send back to the office.
 

9. Do I seriously have to count (log) my hours and if so, how do I do this?  Yes!  Please keep track of your volunteer hours.  You can report via email to our Volunteer Coordinator each month or in the volunteer notebook in the office.  Westbrook is required to report volunteer hours each month to MCPS. 
 

10. What volunteer work am I able to count for the MCPS log?  Almost ALL of your time counts for the MCPS log!  Unless you are simply attending a meeting, please track your time.  Baking for bake sale, shift work at Carnival, time in the classroom, helping at home, writing a grant proposal…they all count!  

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Thanks so much for your interest in volunteering.  Here’s to a great year!

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VOLUNTEER AT WESTBROOK!

 

Visit this link to let us know how you’d like to help:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0544abac2fab9-2016

 

Find key forms related to volunteering on the Westbrook PTA Website at this link: https://www.westbrookespta.com/blank-c7ci
 

Review MCPS policies on the child abuse and neglect training and background checks here: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/childabuseandneglect/ChildAbuseandNeglectFAQs.pdf

 

Keep an eye on the Yahoo group westbrook-school for lots of opportunities and volunteer information or visit the PTA website: http://www.westbrookespta.com/

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